CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

Exam-style questions and sample answers have been written by the authors. In examinations, the way marks are awarded
may be different.

Coursebook answers
Chapter 4
Exam-style questions
The mark schemes, suggested answers and 1 C ; [1]
comments that appear here were written by the 2 D ; [1]
author(s). In examinations, the way marks are
awarded to answers like these may be different. 3 C ; [1]
4 C ; [1]
Notes about mark schemes  5 a 
Information for answering this question
A or accept indicates an alternative acceptable can be found in Section 4.5, Movement of
answer. substances across membranes, and in the
R = reject. This indicates a possible answer that answer to SAQ10di.
should be rejected. 
Award 1 mark for each term correctly
; The bold semicolon indicates the award of 1 mark. used. [12]
/ This indicates an alternative answer for the same b Information for answering this question
mark. The alternatives may be separated from the can be found in Section 4.5, Movement of
rest of the answer by commas. substances across membranes, and in the
( ) Text in brackets is not required for the mark. answer to SAQ10dii.
Underlining This is used to indicate essential Award 1 mark for each term correctly
word(s) that must be used to get the mark. used. [13]
AW means ‘alternative wording’. It is used to  [Total: 25]
indicate that a different wording is acceptable
6 a A phosphate head (of phospholipid) ;
provided the essential meaning is the same, and is
used where students’ responses are likely to vary B fatty acid tail(s) (of phospholipid) ;
more than usual. C phospholipid bilayer / membrane ; [3]
AVP means ‘additional valid point’. This means b 
Award max. of 2 marks: two or three
accept any additional points given by the student correct answers 1 mark, four correct
that are not in the mark scheme, provided they answers 2 marks.
are relevant. But accept only as many additional
points as indicated by the bold semicolons, e.g. i  hydrophilic ;
AVP ; ; means award a maximum of 2 extra marks. ii  hydrophobic ;
ORA means ‘or reverse argument’ and is used iii hydrophobic ;
when the same idea could be expressed in the
iv hydrophilic ; [max. 2]
reverse way. For example: ‘activity increases
between pH2 and pH5 ORA’ means accept c ions move by diffusion ;
‘activity decreases between pH5 and pH2’. channel has shape which is specific for
max. This indicates the maximum number of particular ion ;
marks that can be given. channel is hydrophilic / water-filled /
allows movement of polar substance ;
ions move down concentration gradient ;
 [max. 3]

1 Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology © Cambridge University Press 2020

 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

d both intrinsic proteins ;  f width of C measured in mm ;

both have specific shape ; [2] mm converted to µm and µm converted to
nm ;
e channel proteins have a fixed shape /
carrier proteins have a variable shape ; [1] correct formula used. Magnification:
M = I/A = width of C/7. Accept mm, µm or
nm ;
correct answer in nm ; [4]
 [Total: 15]
7

Process  Uses energy  Uses proteins  Specific  Controllable by cell 

diffusion ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘
osmosis ✘ ✘ ✔ ✘
facilitated diffusion ✘ ✔ ✔ ✘
active transport ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
endocytosis and exocytosis ✔ ✘ ✔ ✔
 [20]
NB: It could be argued that facilitated diffusion is controllable, because the number of channel
proteins in the membrane can affect the rate.
8 explanation:
water (always) moves from a region of higher
Feature  Cell wall  Cell
water potential to a region of lower water
membrane 
potential ;
is the thick- µm  nm 
ness normally (in this case) by osmosis ;
measured in through the partially permeable cell surface
nm or µm? membrane of the cell ;
cell location surrounds some surrounds as the cell fills with water, the cell / protoplast
cells / does not all cells (and expands and pressure increases ;
surround animal some or-
cells / only ganelles) / until the water potential of the cell = zero / is
found outside may be the same as the water potential of pure water ;
cells / found found in- the cell wall is rigid / will not stretch (far), and
outside plant, side cells
prevents entry of more water ;
fungal and
prokaryote (or cell is turgid ; [max. 5]
bacterial) cells
 [Total: 8]
permeability freely partially
permeable permeable 10 a the greater the concentration difference,
the greater the rate of transport ;  [1]
fluid or rigid rigid  fluid 
b rate of transport is zero for diffusion and
Award 1 mark for each correct row. [4] facilitated diffusion at zero concentration
9 description: difference / rate of transport is the same in
rate of entry of water is rapid at first but slows both directions ;
down gradually ; active transport can take place at zero
until rate is zero / no further entry of water or concentration difference ; [2]
water enters until water potential of c (net) diffusion and facilitated diffusion
cell = water potential of pure water ; only take place if there is a concentration
curve is not linear / curve is exponential ;  difference across a membrane (due to
random motion of molecules or ions) ;
rate depends on / rate is proportional to,
difference in water potential between cell and, active transport does not depend on
external solution / water ;  [max. 3] a concentration difference because

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 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK
molecules or ions are pumped (using
energy from ATP) ; [2]
d i  active transport ; [1]
ii  active transport depends on a supply
of ATP ;  c i  85% ;
   provided by respiration ; [2]
e the graph for diffusion is linear / a straight
line (with no maximum rate) ;  away / shrink away, from the cell wall /
diffusion is a purely physical process /
diffusion is not dependent on, transport
proteins / channel or carrier proteins ;
the graph for facilitated diffusion is a
curve with a maximum rate ; AW
facilitated diffusion depends on the
presence of, transport / channel / carrier
proteins ;
as concentration increases, the (receptor
sites of the), transport/channel/carrier,
proteins become more and more saturated ;
the more saturated the, receptor sites /
proteins, become, the less the effect of
increasing concentration ;
rate of transport reaches a maximum,
when all, transport / channel / carrier
proteins, are working at full capacity /
when all receptor sites are, full / saturated ;
NB: This is similar to the effect of substrate
concentration on rate of enzyme activity.
 [max. 5]
 [Total: 13]
11 a the living contents of a plant cell ; [1]
b i  100% ; [1]
ii   the water potential increases ;
   (because) pressure builds up inside
the cell ;
   due to (more and more) water
entering the cell ;
   the rate of increase in, water
potential/pressure, increases as water
enters the cell ; AW
   the cell wall is stretched ;
3 Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology © Cambridge University Press 2020
   w
 hen the cell wall is fully stretched, no
more water can enter ;
   t his is the point where the cell is at
100% relative cell volume ; [max. 5]
[1]
ii incipient plasmolysis is the point at
which the protoplast is about to pull
the point at which plasmolysis is about
to occur ; AW [1]
iii  t he cell / protoplast, continues to lose
water / shrink ;
   t he protoplast pulls away from the
cell wall ;
   t he water potential of the cell
continues to decrease ;
   u
 ntil the water potential of the cell
equals that of the external solution ;
 [max. 3]
 [Total: 12]
12 a if it were diffusion, there would be
(net) movement of ions from a region
of higher concentration to a region of
lower concentration until equilibrium
is reached when concentration inside =
concentration outside ; AW [1]
R because concentrations different inside

and outside
b active transport ; 
active transport involves pumping ions
against a concentration gradient ;  [2]
c if respiration is inhibited, no ATP is
produced ;
active transport uses ATP as an energy
source ;
active transport stops ;
diffusion continues ; 
ions move down concentration gradients
by diffusion until equilibrium is reached ;
 [max. 4]
 [Total: 7]